LYNNWOOD — A blaze that ripped through a Lynnwood apartment building Aug. 9 has likely caused about $3 million in damage, fire investigators said.

Firefighters had most of the fire under control within two hours and continued to put out hot spots overnight.

Investigators suspect a fryer on the second floor sparked the fire, which raced through four floors of the north building at the Lynnview Apartments, located in the 5800 block of 200th Street West, Lynnwood police spokeswoman Shannon Sessions said.

Firefighters attacked the hot and intense blaze from outside, arriving on the scene to a fully-involved building. Dangerous conditions drove them out of the building.

Response time was four minutes. Approximately 60 firefighters from Lynnwood, Shoreline and Fire District 1 responded to the fire along with 20 police units.

There were no reports of injuries.

Attacking the fire was challenging as the north side of the building is up a hill, abutting a strip mall, with power lines draped across it preventing access to that side of the building, according to LeRoy McNulty, Lynnwood fire marshal. The strip mall sustained water damage.

There are about 60 apartments in both buildings. More than 35 displaced families are working with the Red Cross to secure apartments.

During this process Lynnwood’s Trinity Lutheran, 6215 196th St. SW, will shelter victims, according to Mar Tobiason, spokesperson for Snohomish County Red Cross.

John Krouck was at a nearby gas station when he saw the smoke plume rising from the apartment where he has lived for three years.

“I turned around and saw the smoke and immediately came here to see that I was about to lose everything,” Krouck said.

He said he is worried that family heirlooms are gone.

“I am one of the ones who’s burned out but, as a Christian, Job has been through far worse,” Krouck said.

Enterprise editor Mina Williams contributed to this report.